Foot-treadle for piano-players.



A. ANDERSON.

FOOT TRBADLE FOR PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1911.

1,042,306. Patented.0ct.22,1912.

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A. ANDERSON. FOOT TREADLE FOR PIANO'PLAYERS.

4 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1911.

Patented Qct.22, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED ANDERSON, F ROCKFORD,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SCHUMANN PIANO FOOT-TREADLE FOR PIANO-PLAYERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 30, 1911.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912. Serial No. 652,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Treadles for Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a foot treadle for piano players, in which the treadle can be folded within the piano case when not in use, also of means for adjusting the location of the treadle when in use to suit the player.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lower portion of a piano case, in which a portion is broken away showing my improvements in operative position. Fig. 2 is a section on line a a Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section online b b Fig. 2, through the lower portion of a piano case, showing my improvements in elevation and in operative position.

The piano case 1 in the main, is of the usual construction and is provided with the bottom 2, the front 3 having an opening 4, in the lower section 5 of the fron To the section 5 of the front are secured two brackets 6 which support arms 7 and each arm is provided with an opening 8 and a set screw 9. A support 10 is formed with feet 11 and to this support are secured two rods 12 which are located in the openings 8 in the arms 7 and held by the set screws 9.

To the support 10 are independently pivoted two treadles 13 of like construction, and each treadle is intended to operate a bellows. As the construction of the bellows and the connection between a bellows and a treadle are the same for each treadle and bellows, like reference numerals will apply to both. To the section 5 of the front are secured brackets 14 which support a rockshaft 15, and to the rock-shaft are fixedly connected two arms 16 and 17, and to the free end of the arm 16 is connected a link 18. To the link 18 is pivoted a link 19 and the other end of this link is pivoted to a treadle 13. The links 18 and 19 are at the point of their pivotal connection formed with a stop 20 Fig. 3. By depressing the pedal 13, the shaft will be rocked which will move thearm 17. The stop prevents the links 18 and 19 from breaking upward thereby forming, in fact, a single link connection between the treadle and arm 16 in the operation of thetreadle.

When the treadle is not in use it will be folded within the piano case as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3. The pivotal connection between the links 18 and 19, the pivotal connection between the link 18, and the arm 16, and the pivotal connection between the link 19 and the treadle permitting of this folding movement.

A bellows 21 which can be of any suitable construction is supported by the piano case, and to it is secured a bracket 22 provided with a forked lower end between which is supported a pin 23. To the arm 17 is pivoted a link 24 having a forked end 25 which receives the pin 23. The movable section of the bellows is held yieldingly against the stationary section thereof by the rod 26 connected to it at one end, and its other end connected to a bar-spring 26*. This barspring has force enough to collapse the bellows and to return the treadle into the position shown in solid lines in the drawings through the rock-shaft 15 connection.

To the lower section 5 of the piano front is hinged a leaf 27 and above this leaf is slidably mounted a closure 28 for the opening 4 in the front 3 of the piano case. From the leaf 27 extends a rod 29 which is located in the path of the movement of the link con nection between the treadle and the bellows when the treadle is being folded within the case, so that it may be moved inward and the closure 28 allowed to close the opening 4 when the player is not in use. When the treadle is withdrawn from the case, the leaf 27 is raised by the action of the spring 30 into an upright position, and the closure 28 rests upon the leaf, which will leave openings at the ends of the leaf for the links 18 and 19 to move and operate the bellows.

I claim as my invention.

1. A piano case formed with a front having a central opening, a hinged leaf for the lower portion of the opening and a sliding closure for the upper portion of the opening, said closure being adapted to rest upon and be supported by said leaf.

2. Apiano case formed with a front wall having a central opening, a hinged leaf pivotally mounted at the lower edge of such opening and adapted to partially close the same, and a sliding closure for the '11 per portion of said opening, said closure lying in the same plane with said leaf when in closed position and having its lower edge resting upon the upper edge of said leaf, whereby said closure is supported.

3. The combination with a piano case having an opening in the front wall thereof, of a hinged leaf pivotally mounted at the lower edge of said opening and adapted to partially close the same, a spring arranged to urge the leaf toward closing position, a treadle pivotally mounted in said case and adapted to be swung through said opening into operative position and means serving, when said treadle is swung to its inoperative position in the case, to turn said hinged leaf upon its pivot against the tension of said spring.

l. The combination of a piano case, a support, an arm pivotally connected with the case, a rod connected with the support and adjustably connected with the arm, a treadle pivotally connected with the support, a bellows, and a link between the bellows and treadle.

5. The combination with a piano case having an opening in the front wall thereof, of a treadle mechanism pivotally mounted within the casing and adapted to be swung outwardly through said opening into operative position, a hinged leaf pivoted to the lower edge of said opening and adapted to partially close the same, a spring serving, when the treadle mechanism is swung outwardly, to turn the said leaf on its pivots and move it to closing position, and a sliding closure for said opening adapted, when the treadle mechanism is in its operative position, to rest upon the upper edge of said leaf, said leaf having a portion projecting into the path of the treadle mechanism and adapted to be engaged and moved thereby when such mechanism is swung to its inoperative position in the casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED i NDERSON.

Witnesses A. O. BEHEL, E. D. E. N. 1311111211.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

